Carter Scores 22, Young Adds 20 as Aces Cruise Past Sparks 105-78 in Season Opener Win.

LAS VEGAS— Chennedy Carter scored 22 points and Jackie Young added 20 points and nine assists as the Las Vegas Aces powered past the Los Angeles Sparks 105-78 on Sunday in the Sparks’ season opener. A’ja Wilson contributed 19 points and four rebounds for Las Vegas, continuing her strong early-season form. Wilson now has 2,502 career rebounds in 269 games, tying Lisa Leslie for the third-fastest player in WNBA history to reach 2,500 rebounds. Only Tina Charles reached the milestone faster, doing so in 248 games.

Chelsea Gray added 16 points and NaLyssa Smith chipped in 12 as the defending champions bounced back from a lopsided 99-66 loss to Phoenix in their opener the night before. The Aces were dominant offensively, shooting 62% (43 of 69) from the field — the second-best shooting performance in franchise history. Las Vegas set the tone late in the first quarter, closing on a 14-0 run over the final 3½ minutes to take a 29-14 lead into the second. The Sparks went 0-for-6 from the field and committed three turnovers during that stretch. Los Angeles responded with a 19-point surge in the second quarter — nine coming from Kelsey Plum — to cut the deficit to 42-41 at halftime. But the Aces quickly regained control, opening the third quarter with a 12-4 run and outscoring the Sparks 33-18 in the period. Carter’s layup with 4:21 remaining pushed the lead to 61-51, and Las Vegas never looked back, maintaining a double-digit cushion the rest of the way. Plum finished with a game-high 27 points for the Sparks. Nneka Ogwumike, returning to Los Angeles after two seasons with Seattle following her first 12 years with the franchise, added 19 points and 10 rebounds in the loss.

Up Next

The Aces continue their road stretch with games Wednesday and Friday in Connecticut. The Sparks return home to face Indiana on Wednesday.